I'm currently currently playing B/G still. I haven't had any issues except with the 30+ creature merfolk deck. Just to many threats
In testing Merfolk tends to get me game 1 when I'm on the draw (still 45/55), but any deck with Walking Ballista and Constrictor gives them fits. You shouldn't have any real issues unless you're drawing terribly or are keeping bad hands. Aethersphere Harvester also annoys them.
What are you all's thoughts about swapping both Rishkar out for Rhonas and another Hadana's Climb? It seems very strong to me and like it will make up for the fact that I'll be losing the potential ramp and counters from him. Especially with a lot of other cards that can get the turn 3 explosive start. I'm pretty hyped for it.
Also thinking about getting one copy of Heroic Intervention in the sideboard, but not sure how many boardwipes I'll be up against.
A_E_I_Own_U: What do you side Tetzimoc in for? (love that card by the way, but haven't gotten him on the field yet)
I don't feel that Rhonas is actually good. I wish I had time to list all the reasons why. but the big one being that it's generally good when things are already going fine.
I like the Sultai lists (not just because they did better either :P) but I'm wondering with the list that has Hostage Takers in the SB when they might have brought that in vs. Gonti. I'm going to assume against decks with little spot removal, though I'm not really sure what current decks that would be aside from Merfolk. Then again, they are running spell pierce, which I suppose could serve the same function as blossoming defense and we already know Hostage Taker backed up by protection is quite powerful.
Edit: Does SCG every do matchup footage? Definitely would like to see that Sultai Deck in action.
hehe wow, is Rhonas really that bad? I always had good value from him in my Temur decks, but I guess he doesn't synergise with the rest of the deck very well. I mean, I can see all the decks doing well don't use him, so maybe I should swap one Rishkar back in the deck. I just really like Rhonas. I just really felt the need for some more trample at the last FNM where I played against Grixis with lots of thopters.
I also only have one Scarab god so I can't go full Sultai like the other lists that look pretty cool, but for now I like just splashing a bit of blue.
Rhonas is that guy i always hold and hold and hold until i need to give one of my guys trample for the win. He could be an enchantment 99% of the time. I currently dont have one in the deck, but I have had a few instances where I wish I had. Mostly he was good against whirler virtuoso and now that he doesn't seem to be in every matchup, rhonas doesn't seem as important.
I do think i'd like to slot in 1 or 2 thrashing brontodon's in the deck. Maybe take one one branchwalker and one gearhulk.
I don't like to be too competitive at FNM-level events, so I slipped into my Rakdos Aggro Pirates last night. I ended up doing fine until I ran into Sultai Snek in the finals. It was an interesting build with multiple Chupacabras, Hadana's Climb, no Walking Ballistae and a good pilot. Snek won, of course, and ended up being featured in three of the four matches onstream. So, if anybody is interested in seeing Snek at an amateur local level, it is here, starting at about the 47 minute mark.
I don't like to be too competitive at FNM-level events, so I slipped into my Rakdos Aggro Pirates last night. I ended up doing fine until I ran into Sultai Snek in the finals. It was an interesting build with multiple Chupacabras, Hadana's Climb, no Walking Ballistae and a good pilot. Snek won, of course, and ended up being featured in three of the four matches onstream. So, if anybody is interested in seeing Snek at an amateur local level, it is here, starting at about the 47 minute mark.
Interesting. Hadana's Climb is hard to embrace because enchantments so often feel bad, coming down and doing very little. However, it seems like if you can flip it the turn you play it, you're golden. Thanks for sharing the video.
Hadana's climb is so rad!!! It's so easy to flip in this deck. It's pure value in my eyes and you basically get to electrostatic pummel every turn once it flips. Absolutely brutal card.
Just got back from my FNM. Did absolutely terrible in every match hehe, just awful everything hehe. Hadana's Climb and Jadelight Ranger were great as usual, but everything was terrible. I know the deck I made was better than my performance tonight.... It was just a really bad day hehe.
I'm going to ditch the blue splash and go straight G/B next week. I don't like having to remove the blue cards I like and I feel it'll be more boring, but it'll be more aggressive like this. Going for 4 Vraska's contempt, some chupacabras and some big tramplers.
Just got back from my FNM. Did absolutely terrible in every match hehe, just awful everything hehe. Hadana's Climb and Jadelight Ranger were great as usual, but everything was terrible. I know the deck I made was better than my performance tonight.... It was just a really bad day hehe.
I'm going to ditch the blue splash and go straight G/B next week. I don't like having to remove the blue cards I like and I feel it'll be more boring, but it'll be more aggressive like this. Going for 4 Vraska's contempt, some chupacabras and some big tramplers.
If you don't mind saying what were your match ups? Do you think that the matches went badly due to variance? Difficult match ups? Just an off day play-wise?
I sleeved up some Standard at GP Houston (dropped from the main event after a horrible 0-3 sealed performance), and the deck varied as the weekend went on. I started with no Jadelight Rangers, which was just awful, but picked up some at the event. Here's the list I played last with some thoughts on individual cards and how the deck performed.
The Explore creatures are very good in the deck. They synergize well with Winding Constrictor, get lands off the top of the deck, and/or help fix draws. I think this is a viable alternative to the Energy package, but I'm not sure how it compares in power level to the Energy package.
Wildgrowth Walker was a hedge in case I ran into mono red. Never saw it early game, so I'm not sure yet how it will play out. Has potential though.
The top end of the deck is really good. Between Rhonas and all the 5-drops, the power level is there. Nissa also provides a lot of inevitability if they don't have a good answer to her.
I have mixed feelings about Hadana's Climb and Journey to Eternity. There were several games where I had a flipped Climb and an empty board. There were other games I had Journey in hand, creature on board, and reasonable suspicion that my opponent could remove the creature in response. When they performed, they both performed pretty well. They help out a ton in the mirror. But when they don't, it's just a dead card in hand/on board. I had one of each to test them out, but the jury is still out which is better for the deck.
Deathgorge Scavenger and Thrashing Brontodon were MVPs in the God-Pharaoh's Gift match-up. Strongly recommend having both in the 75 somewhere. Also, Brontodon with a flipped Journey to Eternity is just funny against Mardu Vehicles...
Not sold on Scrounger in the board, but one of the games I lost was to UB Control, and it will help (in theory). I never saw the little engine that could in the post-board game, so I don't now if it would have made a difference.
Just got back from my FNM. Did absolutely terrible in every match hehe, just awful everything hehe. Hadana's Climb and Jadelight Ranger were great as usual, but everything was terrible. I know the deck I made was better than my performance tonight.... It was just a really bad day hehe.
I'm going to ditch the blue splash and go straight G/B next week. I don't like having to remove the blue cards I like and I feel it'll be more boring, but it'll be more aggressive like this. Going for 4 Vraska's contempt, some chupacabras and some big tramplers.
If you don't mind saying what were your match ups? Do you think that the matches went badly due to variance? Difficult match ups? Just an off day play-wise?
Match 1 was against Grixis midrange/control (I'm going to try this deck out too because Grixis is my favourite colour combo, just waiting for some lands to come in)
I played against the same dude last week, both with the same decks and it was toe to toe until the very last turn. Very close and fun match last week. This week I always felt I was behind. Mana screwed in both matches hehe, too much the first round and nothing the second. I kinda felt I knew what I was in for that evening after that first match hehe.
Match 2 was against a blue/green artifact deck with lots of nest cranes and cultivators caravans and stuff like that. He got mana screwed both rounds so I won that match, but I didn't really consider it a win since he didn't get anything going at all. I felt bad for winning that one because it happened to me before.
Match 3 was a mirror match. Dude had more removal than me and I only had two Blossoming Defense. He also swapped in a few Wildgrowth Walker cards where he had some pretty lucky draws so he had two on the table and then got a few Jadelight Rangers and a few branchwalkers right after each other. It was never a game really hehe.
Again just drawing lands (I have 24 lands in the deck and shuffled a lot)
Match 4 was against mono red, I went 1-2 there. I think I could have won but I made some bad missplays by the end. I kinda just wanted to get it over with by the end so yeah.
It was just one of those nights where everything that can go wrong goes wrong hehe. I asked my opponents what they thought about my sideboarding choices after every match just to hear some criticism and they all more or less thought I made some good choices, but I almost didn't draw any of them haha. So bad. I still feel like the snake deck is very strong though.
I hate losing more and more the older I get too hehe. The thing that annoys me the most is I can only really play once a week, so I can test out different cards or builds and most of all, I can't build up routine. I just don't really want to spend double money by playing Magic Online, but I'm starting to feel like I should just switch to that since I can play as much as I want to.
I just never liked the idea of playing card games without actual cards you know?
Round 1: Esper Control
He really could do enough to handle all the threats. He played a gearhulk with no targets and I had a contempt in hand. He died turn 6. Game 2 was more of game one. Him taking tons of damage and just drawing cards with nothing substantial to gain.
SB:
-4 Push
+4 Duress
-2 rishkar
+2 Journey to Eternity
Round 2: Artist Formally known as Rumunap Red
Game one he had me at 4 by turn 4 and ran outta gas. I slowly came back with an aethersphere harvester with 4 gearhulk counters on it. He'd deal 7, i'd gain 7 and i'd be safely at 1 life. he never drew any help. Game 2 I absolutely got smoked. Curved out and had me dead on turn 5 without any real hope. Game three i kept a hand with hashep oasis and aether hub. I only had one creature, branchwalker. I hit the land and was able to push two khenra's and curved out and smashed his face.
SB:
Not a darn thing, deck is already solid vs red
Round 3: my cousin playing merfolk
Game 1 he got me to 8 and i played 3 push, 2 chups and a contempt. Finally had a ballista with a snek. Game 2 i was able to get another push t1, snake turn 2, push and branchwalker turn 3 and chup turn 4. Turn 5 was a ballista with a blossoming defense up and he had nothing left of merit. He beat me last week for the win so i was a little more prepared.
SB:
+2 yahenni's expertise
-2 rishkar (i end up trading aggressively so he can't get a board set up so rishkar is a dude with no guys)
Round 4: Sultai Snake
Game 1 I had been on the offensive and smashing him. I was at 16 and he was at 9. I gearhulked on turn 5 and hit him for 8. I had a couple other guys out. Made two 5/5's and one 3/3. on his turn, he blossoming defensed his gearhulk that was a 6/6 already and hit me with hadana's climb that i forgot about. 16 flying. I coulda forced a block if i woulda made two 6/6 and left the 2/2 as is. He woulda been at 2 instead of 1 but had no creatures on the field. Bone head move i know. Game 2 i smashed him. T2 snake, it died, his t2 snake died. i played another and had branchwalker, rishkar, ballista push and gearhulk in my hand. was fast. Game 3 he had me on the ropes. I had lost my pushes to a lost legacy (weird i know) but i had board advantage. Hostage taker took my snake and left me with two smaller creatures that would only get in for 2 at best. I attacked and baited him into easy blocks. He did and i Yahenni's and cleared his board cause of that. Got my snake, played one with yahenni's and played a ballista ftw.
SB:
+2 yahenni's expertise
+1 naturalize (i casted this on his hadana's climb game two and he had a heroic intervention in hand and absolutely still won me the game. He saved that and lost two creatures next turn)
+2 gonti
-2 siphoner
-1 gearhulk
-1 skysoverign
-1 branchwalker
I'd have jadelight ranger in the main in place of the harvester but i dont wanna pay 15+ for a rare that will be 3-4 in a few weeks. He's not a must have for me.
Won $100 in store credit and bought 6 flooded strands and paid for next tuesday's tournament in advance.
Going to FNM tonight again. I'm doing a few small tweaks to the deck. I'll post my results after I get back home.
My meta doesn't really have that much control or God Pharao decks. I'm going to do better at building a sideboard that's good against Grixis energy, mirror match and mono red, so I'm sure I'm only going to be playing against control decks hehe.
Going down to 3 Jadelight Rangers (even though I think it's the best card from Rivals) and adding more gearhulks and vraska's contempts. I really wish there was space for 4 blossoming defense because my meta is very removal heavy, but I just don't have space for it.
I bought MTGO last week too... I really wish I had budget to get the same deck there too, I just can't justify spending money on paper and digital cards. I really wish I could play more so I could test out stuff and get better. Playing once a week just isn't cutting it for me, but I need to save my dosh for other stuff.
Simto: You can download Cockatrice or Xmage and play for free all you want. I play on cockatrice daily at work.
I went to our weekly tournament at my LGS and dominated again. This week we only had 8, so only 3 rounds.
RD 1: Mardu Vehicles
Game 1 he smoked me. So fast, perfect answers. wasn't even close
Game 2 the complete opposite. I hit two fatal push and two balista and he pretty much couldn't win.
Game 3 was fairly close but ballista put in work and he couldn't recover
RD2: Marionette master control
Game 1 i killed him turn 5. was so fast, he couldn't stop it
Game 2 he had enough to do like 32 on board when he dropped master. I had kept out gaining him in life with the harvester and he had to keep delaying a turn every time. Eventually i hit a gonti and found a contempt. that mixed with my own contempt sealed the deal.
RD3: Merfolk (my cousin again)
Game 1 he had a slower draw and i was able to establish a board before he could kill me. I dropped a harvester and then put gearhulk counters on it. I went to 19 and he could only crack back for 17 after a fatal push and i killed him next turn.
Game 2 I drew 3 pushes in 3 turns and had a snake t2 and a rishkar after that. Was a stomping.
Like $400 in store credit in three weeks. Might just buy into modern.
Went terrible as usual.
Lost to Grixis control, never stood a chance. Lost to mono black 1-2, he got mana screwed in the round I won and I had a perfect start so it was over quick. Barely won 2-1 over Esper control. I won round three because he got mana screwed. And then finally lost to red/black pirates.
Two things on my mind after last night (other than I suck)
1: I feel like I need 4 blossoming defense because everybody has 10 removal spells or something in the deck.
2: I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hate Foul Orchard.... **** that card seriously.... It's so ******* slow I can't take it.
(3: Gonti is pure value)
Getting pretty damn tired of losing all the time. Three fnm's where I've done nothing but get my ass handed to me. I think I'm going to play Grixis midrange next week. I'm going to need a break from fnm if that goes bad too, I have enough defeats in my life as it is, don't need to add to it hehe.
Went terrible as usual.
Lost to Grixis control, never stood a chance. Lost to mono black 1-2, he got mana screwed in the round I won and I had a perfect start so it was over quick. Barely won 2-1 over Esper control. I won round three because he got mana screwed. And then finally lost to red/black pirates.
Two things on my mind after last night (other than I suck)
1: I feel like I need 4 blossoming defense because everybody has 10 removal spells or something in the deck.
2: I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hate Foul Orchard.... **** that card seriously.... It's so ******* slow I can't take it.
(3: Gonti is pure value)
Getting pretty damn tired of losing all the time. Three fnm's where I've done nothing but get my ass handed to me. I think I'm going to play Grixis midrange next week. I'm going to need a break from fnm if that goes bad too, I have enough defeats in my life as it is, don't need to add to it hehe.
Sorry to hear to hear about your frustrations. Let us know if we can help with any feedback! I went back looking for you decklist, and you posted this several weeks back:
Is this the deck you are playing (with some minor tweaks, since you mentioned you dropped one Ranger)? Would you like any feedback on your deck construction specifically for your meta? Not saying I have the answers, but it's always good to go back and review deck construction choices IMO.
Has anyone experimented with splashing red in this archetype?
I'm curious to try it out because I'd love to have access to cards like Angrath, the Flame-Chained and Glorybringer, even if just from the SB. I also think that the cycling lands (Canyon Slough / Sheltered Thicket) may add some extra value to explore w/ card draw, and the mana base may not be FUBAR thanks to these + Rootbound Crags.
4x glint-sleeve siphoner
3x jadelight ranger
4x merfolk branchwalker
2x ravenous chupacabra
2x rishkar, peema renegade
3x verdurous gearhulk
4x walking ballista
4x winding constrictor
2x blossoming defense
4x fatal push
3x vraska's contempt
4x aether hub
4x blooming marsh
4x forest
3x foul orchard
2x hashep oasis
2x ifnir deadlands
5x swamp
2x aethersphere harvester
1x lifecrafter's bestiary
2x deadeye tracker
2x gonti, lord of luxury
1x tetzimoc, primal death
1x thrashing brontodon
1x naturalize
1x vraska, relic seeker
1x duress
its a boring list but super consistent
In testing Merfolk tends to get me game 1 when I'm on the draw (still 45/55), but any deck with Walking Ballista and Constrictor gives them fits. You shouldn't have any real issues unless you're drawing terribly or are keeping bad hands. Aethersphere Harvester also annoys them.
Also thinking about getting one copy of Heroic Intervention in the sideboard, but not sure how many boardwipes I'll be up against.
A_E_I_Own_U: What do you side Tetzimoc in for? (love that card by the way, but haven't gotten him on the field yet)
@simto
I usually only pull him in vs G/r monsters and some of the other midrangey decks.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
I like the Sultai lists (not just because they did better either :P) but I'm wondering with the list that has Hostage Takers in the SB when they might have brought that in vs. Gonti. I'm going to assume against decks with little spot removal, though I'm not really sure what current decks that would be aside from Merfolk. Then again, they are running spell pierce, which I suppose could serve the same function as blossoming defense and we already know Hostage Taker backed up by protection is quite powerful.
Edit: Does SCG every do matchup footage? Definitely would like to see that Sultai Deck in action.
I also only have one Scarab god so I can't go full Sultai like the other lists that look pretty cool, but for now I like just splashing a bit of blue.
I do think i'd like to slot in 1 or 2 thrashing brontodon's in the deck. Maybe take one one branchwalker and one gearhulk.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
Interesting. Hadana's Climb is hard to embrace because enchantments so often feel bad, coming down and doing very little. However, it seems like if you can flip it the turn you play it, you're golden. Thanks for sharing the video.
I'm going to ditch the blue splash and go straight G/B next week. I don't like having to remove the blue cards I like and I feel it'll be more boring, but it'll be more aggressive like this. Going for 4 Vraska's contempt, some chupacabras and some big tramplers.
If you don't mind saying what were your match ups? Do you think that the matches went badly due to variance? Difficult match ups? Just an off day play-wise?
4 Walking Ballista
4 Winding Constrictor
3 Dusk Legion Zealot
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
2 Wildgrowth Walker
4 Jadelight Ranger
1 Rhonas the Indomitable
3 Ravenous Chupacabra
1 Verdurous Gearhulk
2 The Scarab God
Non-Creature Spells (10):
1 Journey to Eternity
4 Fatal Push
1 Hadana's Climb
2 Vraska's Contempt
2 Nissa, Steward of Elements
4 Blooming Marsh
4 Botanical Sanctum
3 Evolving Wilds
4 Forest
4 Swamp
1 Island
1 Drowned Catacomb
2 Fetid Pools
2 Deathgorge Scavenger
1 Vraska's Contempt
3 Negate
3 Duress
1 Vraska, Relic Seeker
2 Thrashing Brontodon
3 Scrapheap Scrounger
Match 1 was against Grixis midrange/control (I'm going to try this deck out too because Grixis is my favourite colour combo, just waiting for some lands to come in)
I played against the same dude last week, both with the same decks and it was toe to toe until the very last turn. Very close and fun match last week. This week I always felt I was behind. Mana screwed in both matches hehe, too much the first round and nothing the second. I kinda felt I knew what I was in for that evening after that first match hehe.
Match 2 was against a blue/green artifact deck with lots of nest cranes and cultivators caravans and stuff like that. He got mana screwed both rounds so I won that match, but I didn't really consider it a win since he didn't get anything going at all. I felt bad for winning that one because it happened to me before.
Match 3 was a mirror match. Dude had more removal than me and I only had two Blossoming Defense. He also swapped in a few Wildgrowth Walker cards where he had some pretty lucky draws so he had two on the table and then got a few Jadelight Rangers and a few branchwalkers right after each other. It was never a game really hehe.
Again just drawing lands (I have 24 lands in the deck and shuffled a lot)
Match 4 was against mono red, I went 1-2 there. I think I could have won but I made some bad missplays by the end. I kinda just wanted to get it over with by the end so yeah.
It was just one of those nights where everything that can go wrong goes wrong hehe. I asked my opponents what they thought about my sideboarding choices after every match just to hear some criticism and they all more or less thought I made some good choices, but I almost didn't draw any of them haha. So bad. I still feel like the snake deck is very strong though.
I hate losing more and more the older I get too hehe. The thing that annoys me the most is I can only really play once a week, so I can test out different cards or builds and most of all, I can't build up routine. I just don't really want to spend double money by playing Magic Online, but I'm starting to feel like I should just switch to that since I can play as much as I want to.
I just never liked the idea of playing card games without actual cards you know?
4x glint-sleeve siphoner
2x aethersphere harvester
4x merfolk branchwalker
3x ravenous chupacabra
2x rishkar, peema renegade
3x verdurous gearhulk
4x walking ballista
4x winding constrictor
2x blossoming defense
4x fatal push
3x vraska's contempt
4x aether hub
4x blooming marsh
4x forest
3x foul orchard
2x hashep oasis
2x ifnir deadlands
5x swamp
2x Journey to Eternity
2x Yahenni's Expertise
2x deadeye tracker
2x gonti, lord of luxury
1x thrashing brontodon
1x naturalize
1x vraska, relic seeker
4x duress
Round 1: Esper Control
He really could do enough to handle all the threats. He played a gearhulk with no targets and I had a contempt in hand. He died turn 6. Game 2 was more of game one. Him taking tons of damage and just drawing cards with nothing substantial to gain.
SB:
-4 Push
+4 Duress
-2 rishkar
+2 Journey to Eternity
Round 2: Artist Formally known as Rumunap Red
Game one he had me at 4 by turn 4 and ran outta gas. I slowly came back with an aethersphere harvester with 4 gearhulk counters on it. He'd deal 7, i'd gain 7 and i'd be safely at 1 life. he never drew any help. Game 2 I absolutely got smoked. Curved out and had me dead on turn 5 without any real hope. Game three i kept a hand with hashep oasis and aether hub. I only had one creature, branchwalker. I hit the land and was able to push two khenra's and curved out and smashed his face.
SB:
Not a darn thing, deck is already solid vs red
Round 3: my cousin playing merfolk
Game 1 he got me to 8 and i played 3 push, 2 chups and a contempt. Finally had a ballista with a snek. Game 2 i was able to get another push t1, snake turn 2, push and branchwalker turn 3 and chup turn 4. Turn 5 was a ballista with a blossoming defense up and he had nothing left of merit. He beat me last week for the win so i was a little more prepared.
SB:
+2 yahenni's expertise
-2 rishkar (i end up trading aggressively so he can't get a board set up so rishkar is a dude with no guys)
Round 4: Sultai Snake
Game 1 I had been on the offensive and smashing him. I was at 16 and he was at 9. I gearhulked on turn 5 and hit him for 8. I had a couple other guys out. Made two 5/5's and one 3/3. on his turn, he blossoming defensed his gearhulk that was a 6/6 already and hit me with hadana's climb that i forgot about. 16 flying. I coulda forced a block if i woulda made two 6/6 and left the 2/2 as is. He woulda been at 2 instead of 1 but had no creatures on the field. Bone head move i know. Game 2 i smashed him. T2 snake, it died, his t2 snake died. i played another and had branchwalker, rishkar, ballista push and gearhulk in my hand. was fast. Game 3 he had me on the ropes. I had lost my pushes to a lost legacy (weird i know) but i had board advantage. Hostage taker took my snake and left me with two smaller creatures that would only get in for 2 at best. I attacked and baited him into easy blocks. He did and i Yahenni's and cleared his board cause of that. Got my snake, played one with yahenni's and played a ballista ftw.
SB:
+2 yahenni's expertise
+1 naturalize (i casted this on his hadana's climb game two and he had a heroic intervention in hand and absolutely still won me the game. He saved that and lost two creatures next turn)
+2 gonti
-2 siphoner
-1 gearhulk
-1 skysoverign
-1 branchwalker
I'd have jadelight ranger in the main in place of the harvester but i dont wanna pay 15+ for a rare that will be 3-4 in a few weeks. He's not a must have for me.
Won $100 in store credit and bought 6 flooded strands and paid for next tuesday's tournament in advance.
Yahenni's Expertise is money!
My meta doesn't really have that much control or God Pharao decks. I'm going to do better at building a sideboard that's good against Grixis energy, mirror match and mono red, so I'm sure I'm only going to be playing against control decks hehe.
Going down to 3 Jadelight Rangers (even though I think it's the best card from Rivals) and adding more gearhulks and vraska's contempts. I really wish there was space for 4 blossoming defense because my meta is very removal heavy, but I just don't have space for it.
I bought MTGO last week too... I really wish I had budget to get the same deck there too, I just can't justify spending money on paper and digital cards. I really wish I could play more so I could test out stuff and get better. Playing once a week just isn't cutting it for me, but I need to save my dosh for other stuff.
I went to our weekly tournament at my LGS and dominated again. This week we only had 8, so only 3 rounds.
RD 1: Mardu Vehicles
Game 1 he smoked me. So fast, perfect answers. wasn't even close
Game 2 the complete opposite. I hit two fatal push and two balista and he pretty much couldn't win.
Game 3 was fairly close but ballista put in work and he couldn't recover
RD2: Marionette master control
Game 1 i killed him turn 5. was so fast, he couldn't stop it
Game 2 he had enough to do like 32 on board when he dropped master. I had kept out gaining him in life with the harvester and he had to keep delaying a turn every time. Eventually i hit a gonti and found a contempt. that mixed with my own contempt sealed the deal.
RD3: Merfolk (my cousin again)
Game 1 he had a slower draw and i was able to establish a board before he could kill me. I dropped a harvester and then put gearhulk counters on it. I went to 19 and he could only crack back for 17 after a fatal push and i killed him next turn.
Game 2 I drew 3 pushes in 3 turns and had a snake t2 and a rishkar after that. Was a stomping.
Like $400 in store credit in three weeks. Might just buy into modern.
Lost to Grixis control, never stood a chance. Lost to mono black 1-2, he got mana screwed in the round I won and I had a perfect start so it was over quick. Barely won 2-1 over Esper control. I won round three because he got mana screwed. And then finally lost to red/black pirates.
Two things on my mind after last night (other than I suck)
1: I feel like I need 4 blossoming defense because everybody has 10 removal spells or something in the deck.
2: I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hate Foul Orchard.... **** that card seriously.... It's so ******* slow I can't take it.
(3: Gonti is pure value)
Getting pretty damn tired of losing all the time. Three fnm's where I've done nothing but get my ass handed to me. I think I'm going to play Grixis midrange next week. I'm going to need a break from fnm if that goes bad too, I have enough defeats in my life as it is, don't need to add to it hehe.
Sorry to hear to hear about your frustrations. Let us know if we can help with any feedback! I went back looking for you decklist, and you posted this several weeks back:
4 Walking Ballista
4 Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
4 Servant of the Conduit
4 Jadelight Ranger
2 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
2 Bristling Hydra
2 Verdurous Gearhulk
1 Scarab God
4 Fatal Push
2 Vraska's Contempt
2 Blossoming Defense
1 Hadana's Climb
4 Blooming Marsh
4 Aether Hub
2 Hashep Oasis
1 Ifnir Deadlands
1 Island
6 Forest
6 Swamp
3 Duress
2 Lost Legacy
2 Yahenni's Expertise
2 Appetite for the unnatural
3 Deathgorge Scavenger
2 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Tetzimoc, Primal Death
2 Trespasser's Curse
2 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
2 Ravenous chupacabra
Is this the deck you are playing (with some minor tweaks, since you mentioned you dropped one Ranger)? Would you like any feedback on your deck construction specifically for your meta? Not saying I have the answers, but it's always good to go back and review deck construction choices IMO.
I'm curious to try it out because I'd love to have access to cards like Angrath, the Flame-Chained and Glorybringer, even if just from the SB. I also think that the cycling lands (Canyon Slough / Sheltered Thicket) may add some extra value to explore w/ card draw, and the mana base may not be FUBAR thanks to these + Rootbound Crags.
B/G Rock BG | Jund BGR | Mardu Pyromancer BRW | Ponza RG | Burn RW